A step toward export has been taken for avocados, the production of which has increased rapidly in recent years in the Gazipaşa district of Antalya. More than 70,000 avocados grown in the district were sent to Georgia in the first major shipment exceeding 20 tons.
The shipment, carried out by avocado producer Tolga Şahiner, was evaluated as a significant development for the expansion of tropical fruit production in Gazipaşa and its surroundings into foreign markets. Thanks to the region's climatic conditions and the experience of the producers, the avocado has become one of Gazipaşa's prominent agricultural products.
Ali Hüdüoğlu, President of the Alanya Tropical Fruit Producers Association, emphasized during the shipment that the labor of the producers must be transformed into products with high added value. Stating that there is significant potential for tropical fruit production in the vicinity of Gazipaşa and Alanya, Hüdüoğlu expressed that expanding export markets is critical for the region's agriculture.
EMPHASIS ON PROPER HARVESTING
Hüdüoğlu pointed out that product quality and harvest timing are decisive for making avocado exports sustainable. Stating that early harvesting can create problems in the marketing process, Hüdüoğlu said that producers must act consciously and in accordance with standards suitable for export.
If we harvest our products before the harvest time comes, we will be looking for customers in the markets. When we harvest our products that have reached harvest time at the right time, traders will look for us, and our products will go to export.
The goal is for the shipment made from the region not to be a one-time event, but to turn into regular exports in the coming period and for the amount of products sent to be increased. With the strengthening of domestic production, the fact that avocados, which were previously met through imports, are now finding a place in foreign markets is seen as a remarkable step for the sector.
News Source: 12punto
